Alex Verlanic and Chase Reynolds, who were born one day apart in tiny Drummond, are men who have been to the big-time and have now returned to their roots.

“We’ve known each other our entire lives,” Verlanic said. “We’re great friends, almost like brothers. We’ve both been out of state and now he’s come back and I’ve come back.

“It’s pretty sweet. Real neat.”

The two life-long friends are former star football players for the Montana Grizzlies. Verlanic, a CPA who worked for a high-profile firm in San Francisco for several years before returning to the family ranch near Drummond, runs a poultry business with brothers Andrew and Connor.

Reynolds, the former Griz All-American and NFL running back who lives now in Missoula with his young family, will be the guest speaker for the Great Falls Tribune’s third annual Northcentral Montana Sports Awards Banquet on Monday night.

The banquet, during which several hundred high school athletes will be honored, is Monday night at 6 at the Best Western Plus Heritage Inn. Tickets for the banquet, which includes a dinner, are $25 and will be available at the Tribune office Monday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. or starting at 5 p.m. at the Heritage.

Verlanic, a star offensive center who earned numerous academic honors during his college career, played on highly successful Drummond High teams with Reynolds. Neither received full-ride scholarships at Montana but both became stars.

Reynolds made it all the way to the NFL. Not a bad achievement for someone from a town of 300 in the middle of Montana.

“The neat thing about Chase is, when we were young we won a lot of games and Chase became sort of a small-town Montana legend,” Verlanic said. “We were good, he was scoring touchdowns, and we’re from tiny Drummond.

“We were playing teams from across the state and they were like, ‘Who’s this Reynolds kid?’ And he was tearing it up. He’s small-town Montana and he played in the NFL. He’ll be very relatable to a lot of the kids who are going to be there at your banquet. Because he’s been in their shoes, literally.”

Verlanic recalls a story from their high school days, when the Trojans were in St. Regis, stretching in the gym before an important game.

"This little kid comes up to Chase and goes 'Are you Chase Reynolds? Are you going to play for the Griz? And then go play in the NFL?' "

"What was Chase gonna say? And sure as heck that’s what he does."

Verlanic laughed.

"This little kid in St. Regis, he knew what was going to happen,” he said.

Verlanic said it’s great to be back home on the ranch. Just as Reynolds, who works in real estate in Missoula, realizes it’s so desirable to raise a family in the Treasure State.

Reynolds and his wife, Kila, are expected to be at Monday’s banquet along with their son Talen, and daughters Peyton and Tenley. Verlanic said the folks hoping to meet a true hometown hero won’t be disappointed.

“We’re from a Class C school and he dominates as a running back,” Verlanic said. “He goes to Montana and plays running back and wide receiver, then goes back to running back. And he’s doing the same stuff: Running around people and scoring touchdowns.”

Verlanic chuckles.

“It’s almost a folksy tale. Small-town hero. And Chase really lived up to it,” Verlanic said. “He’s not maybe the biggest or fastest guy, but he’s a really good football player. He’s really tough and he worked his (tail) off.

“I think his story is very endearing and very cool.”

Verlanic was a star center for the Grizzlies who blocked for his buddy on a lot of those touchdown runs.

“I was lucky enough to watch a lot of the touchdowns he made," Verlanic said. "I just had to do a little bit, and Chase always made everybody look good. That’s for sure.”

When Verlanic and Reynolds were Drummond teammates, the Trojans of coach Jim Oberweiser never lost. Their football teams were 35-0 and won three straight Class C state championships.

"I don't want to sound too cliche," Oberweiser said. "But I think Chase was a better kid than he was a football player. And he was an outstanding football player."

Oberweiser coached 36 years at Drummond, winning 233 games and five state championships. To be sure he saw a lot of fine players come through his program. Reynolds was special.

"Honest to pete," Oberweiser said. "I had Chase in school from kindergarten on, and I could see the drive and intensity in him at a young age. I knew he had the heart and the desire and I knew he'd be able to find a spot on a college team. But to play the way he did at the University of Montana, it was just tremendous."

Oberweiser is not surprised Reynolds became a professional football player.

"Again, measuring that heart and the way that kid played on special teams - and there could have been more," Oberweiser said. "He could have been a great slot receiver in the NFL if given the chance. He's always been just so great in the open field."

And that is why Oberweiser's Drummond teams a dozen or so years ago, with Reynolds carrying the ball and Verlanic among his top blockers, didn't lose for three straight seasons.

Not than any of the Trojans bragged about it.

“All of that goes back to Coach O,” Verlanic said. “We were pretty good in high school, creaming people, but Coach O was always on us to stay humble. We all remembered that.”

Undoubtedly that’s part of the reason Chase Reynolds accepted so quickly when approached about appearing at the Tribune’s third annual Northcentral Montana Sports Awards Banquet. And why his old buddy Alex Verlanic is enjoying life so much these days working with his brothers back on the family ranch.